Queen Anne house focus
Continuing his series uncovering the hidden history and defining features of houses from different design eras, conservation and heritage expert Lee Bilson looks at a period that embraced classicism and ornamentation
Heritage expert Lee Bilson delves into this unique home design era
The Queen Anne style is synonymous with English baroque – it is a pleasing, elegant form of architecture that was epitomised under its namesake’s reign from 1702 to 1714. But the foundations of its development came from earlier in the 17th century, with the advent of the first architects in a modern sense, and later developing as a result of the creation of the great houses that are still dotted across the English countryside.
Despite a few false starts, the use of classical ornament and symmetry would continue through the 17th century, and it was these developments that led to the elegant, Italianate and ornate characteristics we see in Queen Anne houses today. It was a style that oversaw the end of vernacular traditions in building, and would ring in the refinement of classical designs under the early Georgians. But to this day, for many the idea of living in a Queen Anne house – with its fine brickwork, quoin details marking the corners, and an elaborate pedimented doorcase cloaked in wisteria – is the ultimate dream.
Design evolution
What ‘baroque’ means in stylistic terms can be confusing for the uninitiated, but once you delve a little into the background and context, the Queen Anne style becomes clearer – with its French and Dutch influences being adapted by designers to form a very English style of bold elemental masses on fine wall surfaces, symmetrical façades, deep projections and recessions – flamboyant classicism fond of figurative ornament. Each Queen Anne property derives much of its life and beauty from the craftsmen involved in its creation.
Whereas Tudor, Elizabethan and Jacobean builders had generally only selected the aspects of classical ornament that tickled their fancy, the designers that would follow began to better understand and consider the classical orders, and in turn all aspects of house design, inside and out.
It was early designers, like Inigo Jones, that would be seen as the first architects in a modern sense. Following his travels in Italy in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, Jones applied what he had learned of Andrea Palladio to his designs for the Stuart court. This can still be seen today in many of his buildings, but most notably the Queen’s House in Greenwich. His use of classical ornament and Palladianism was striking at the time, forming regular and ordered appearances, as opposed to the earlier periods, which were characterised in towns by closely packed gabled and jettied timberframe houses. In awe of the new designs, a fresh image of domestic architecture arose, replacing gables and jetties with an ordered façade, hipped ➤
roofs and focussed symmetry. Despite these new developments in architectural design, the Civil
War and Commonwealth periods would repress its adoption – not surprising considering its kingly support, Charles I, was beheaded!
The Restoration of the monarchy under
Charles II marked a turning point in house design – bringing with it the fashions from France and Holland associated with continental baroque. Although it was originally used as a derogatory term, ‘baroque’ would become synonymous with sumptuous court mansions that began dotting the English countryside. Great architects arose, most famously Sir Christopher Wren, an aweinspiring polymath – mathematician, scientist, and designer of St Paul’s Cathedral. The baroque was here to stay, holding sway over architectural fashions until the Georgian period – with a very particular elegance being created in the housing of the early 18th century under Queen Anne.
The Glorious Revolution of the late 17th century allowed baroque to take on a unique form through the creation of what are still to this day some of the greatest country houses, including Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, Castle Howard in Yorkshire, and Chatsworth in Derbyshire – and while these mammoth houses are evidence of the shift of power from the monarch to Parliament, they offer little indication of more general trends. The initial innovations were generally confined to the elite, wealthy classes in contact with London, but by the end of Queen Anne’s reign these styles had become widespread across the country, having broken free of the imported influences, emerging as a distinctly English baroque. By this time the great architects Wren, Nicholas Hawksmoor and John Vanbrugh were elderly masters – offering the opportunity for stylish young Johnny-comelatelies returning from the Grand Tour to ridicule the old masters and their seemingly outdated style, extinguishing the flicker of English flamboyance no sooner than it had started to shine, fashioning in its stead the quintessential Georgian house.
spread of influence
The move toward symmetry and the innovations in the design of houses at gentry level took time to be absorbed by provincial builders. As with previous periods the lessons in style and planning of properties would take longer to be picked up in areas out of the London sphere, so vernacular traditions of building were generally maintained across various parts of the country until the 18th century – with the double-pile, symmetrical houses being confined to the south or gentry housing.
Initially many houses were simply brought up to date by adopting a double-pile plan form, but maintaining the external traditions of local craftsmen. In London, however, the effects of the Great Fire in 1666 resulted in the greatest advent of change. The destruction of some 13,000 houses highlighted the need for better regulation in
building – resulting in The Rebuilding Act of 1667, the precursor to our modern building regulations. It was this act that truly cemented the new fashion of brick building, through its obligation on builders to construct brick-faced houses to prevent fire. Minimum thicknesses of brick walls were also specified, and the use of timber restricted to windows, doors and cornice details. The act also graded houses by size, which in turn regulated the width of the streets in which they faced, with a limit of four storeys on main streets.
This in turn brought about the earliest forms of terraced housing, with the act confirming their development in legislation as the accepted model. The influence of the act is particularly noticeable in cities that also experienced devastating fires – Warwick being a good example.
Typical features
Stone and brickwork Building in brick offered the baroque designers different options for decoration and it was in this period that Flemish bond would become fashionable – this was composed of brick headers and stretchers alternating in each course. With this, fine brickwork was regularly used from the late 17th century onwards, including aspects such as rubbed brick in fine red colours for windows instead of stone, and even cut bricks for ornaments. Quoin details were also regularly used, and from the late 17th century into the early 18th century these tended to be arranged in an alternating long and short fashion.
windows In the earlier stages of the period, Elizabethan styles of mullion and transom windows – known as cross windows – were used up to the early 18th century. But other motifs became popular in baroque designs, such as oval or bullseye windows. The reinstated court of Charles II in the mid-17th century is generally credited with introducing counterbalanced sash windows.
entrances Doorcases in this period tended to have a hood, on large console brackets that could be plain or decoratively carved with leaf details. The arched hood was a particular favourite during the reign of Queen Anne, in the early 18th century. As the baroque style developed, greater liberties were generally taken with the classical elements – aspects such as exuberant use of rustication, large keystones, and bold pediments were used widely into the 18th century and are often known as Gibbsian styles of doorway so-called because of their association with the work of James Gibbs.
chimneys and fires Chimneys were now being incorporated into the symmetrical design of homes, some even being disguised as battlements or decorative details such as urns in an attempt to avoid them ‘tainting’ a balanced design. In early years of the 18th century, Bolection moulding – formed by a double curve in profile – was commonly
used around chimneypieces – a useful broad dating indicator in interiors. In the most elaborate of houses chimneypieces had stepped tops to allow displays of china collections. But smaller houses were simply set below a section of panelling.
decoration Panelling of the period adopted new, heavily symmetrical forms in line with the fashions to achieve external balance. This panelling was now commonly split into two or three tiers, with a square panel located towards the base of the wall. It was at this time that the dado or chair rail started to be included too. In deep contrast with the interiors of the Elizabethans and Jacobeans, the panelling would be relatively plain, save moulded edges and carved foliage. The houses of the elite, however, accompanied these with rich displays of woodcarving. As the Georgian era drew near, painted ceilings and walls started to come into fashion in the wealthier houses following their use in royal palaces.
Stairs Various forms of balusters were used over time in the 17th century. The favoured type in the late 17th century was the turned baluster with a somewhat pronounced belly or Italianate detailing around the base areas – otherwise you’ll find examples of vertically symmetrical and twisted balusters that were used into the early 18th century.
WHAT To look for
● Sash windows began to be used widely through the period in exposed boxes set flush with the brickwork – early sash windows were narrow in comparison with later sashes and had much thicker glazing bars.
● A hipped roof with dormers, above a large cornice detail, and with a central pediment, can be a sure sign of the period – but be wary of revival designs of the 19th and 20th centuries.
● Look for stone or brick quoins emphasising the corners of a building – this was a hugely popular detail and sets Queen Anne housing apart from that of the later Georgians.
● If in doubt, look for somewhat oversized carved stone or timber door cases, heavy with classical detailing alongside the use of fine red brick.
● Another common detail of the English baroque is the use of rustication – this is formed by a range of masonry techniques giving surfaces a finish that contrasts in texture with the smoothly finished, squared-block stone or brick façades. ● Floor plans were now becoming double pile – two rooms deep – with symmetry being key wherever possible to any visible façades.
maintenance issues
● Quintessential Queen Anne properties are nothing without some lovely dormers in the hipped roof – and while looking the part, their distance from the ground often means they are neglected when it comes to maintenance – making perfect areas for the building up of detritus or failing lead flashings to cause nuisance leaks.
If it is safe to do so, get a ladder and check them when you carry out your annual gutter check.
● The use of wood for the elaborate doorcases and pediments, or deep cornice details at the eaves means these areas are prone to rot and decay if not properly looked after – regular treatments and any necessary painting should be carried out – and check for any hard repairs that can often exacerbate any moisture retention issues.
● Internally, panelling or decorative mouldings often have layer upon layer of paint – this can obscure the fine details, and where modern paints were used can cause damage. To bring the details back to life explore getting a specialist to remove the layers of paint – start by having some historic paint analysis first and find out whether a lead barrier compound is required.
● Queen Anne brickwork is extremely fine – be careful if repointing the property to ensure that the joints are not widened when removing any mortar – mechanical removal is prone to causing damage and creating fat joints.
● Consider joining the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB), who runs a maintenance week each year and has a handy checklist available to help look after your historic home.
Where To visit
● No self-respecting historic house lover can miss an opportunity to visit the great country houses of chatsworth, blenhiem, and castle howard.
● On your travels, keep an eye out for those delightful privately owned Queen Anne houses on the edge of towns like marlborough for your English baroque fix.
● mompesson house, a National Trust favourite, is a quintessential Queen Anne townhouse situated inside Salisbury’s historic Cathedral Close – explore the homely atmosphere and soft baroque features.
● hanbury hall in Worcestershire, today managed by the National Trust, was built in the early 1700s, and features notable paintings by baroque painter Sir James Thornhill.